#[ et cetera. ] actually he's the boss. i just pay for everything and design everything. and make everyone look cooler.

[coreius]

Tag drop 1.

[iniziare]

Tag drop: Tony Stark (part 1).

[khruseos]

Tag drop: Tony Stark

[skzsauce01]

Flowers and Ink

Description: A dainty flower shop opens next to Changbin's tattoo parlor. Its owner, he finds out, is an armful of surprises.

Warning: none

Word Count: 1723

Pairing: fem!reader x Changbin

The flower shop that opened next door was a stark contrast to District 9. It was bright, cheerful, and blocked almost a quarter of the sidewalk with its flower displays and chalkboard sign. Its owner, a pretty girl who introduced herself as Y/N, perfectly matched the exterior with her sweet voice and naturally peaceful expression. Changbin didn't know how to feel about his tattoo parlor's aesthetic being ruined, but even he had to admit that the grand opening last month was pretty amazing: 20% off bouquets and arrangements, hibiscus tea and lavender-vanilla cookies, and free flower crowns.

Free. Flower. Crowns.

He really wanted a flower crown.

(And he most definitely would have lined up for one if Minho had shown up for his appointment on time. Screw you, Minho.)

Even after the commotion of the grand opening, the shop was still bustling with customers. The sidewalk was almost always covered with fallen flower petals, and Changbin only saw you through the giant front window, snipping stems and tying ribbons. He considered stopping by to say hello and to get to know you better, but he could never bring himself to walk inside. He thought he had a decent idea of what you were like anyway.

Keyword being thought.

He certainly hadn't expected you to discuss tattoos with you on an early Friday morning. You had strolled into the parlor with no warning and started up a conversation about getting a hand tattoo. In fact, he was so speechless, he let you walk him through your whole design. He finally snapped out of it when you started pulling up pictures on your phone.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I don't do hand tattoos on people without any other tattoos." He explained, "It's a job stopper, hard to cover up, most people do a bad job maintaining it, it's pretty painful, et cetera. It's just not a good idea, especially for your first one."

There were a lot of things he predicted you to do after. Unzipping your windbreaker and revealing a full sleeve tattoo of flowers, leaves, and birds was not one of them.

He gaped at the sight. You-- your full sleeve, he corrected himself-- were gorgeous.

You were clearly enjoying his expression. You rotated your arm to let him get a better view. There was a slight smirk on your face when you said, "My boss won't care if I get ink on my hands."

Right. You were the freaking owner of the flower shop.

"So how about it?" you asked. You slipped your windbreaker back on and fluffed your hair out, sending the smell of jasmine his way.

He couldn’t think properly. There was a series of ‘um’ and ‘uh’ from him before he managed to get out, "You need to make an appointment first.”

It was then decided that you would come next Sunday evening, and you cheerfully left the parlor. Changbin, however, slowly sunk into his chair and replayed the scene in his mind. The dramatic reveal was his favorite part, and combined with that smirk? Wow, that was hot.

--

The week was long, and every time he heard the bell on his door chime, he hoped it was you. His obsession became so obvious that Jisung started opening and closing the door just for the fun of it.

"Stop that," Changbin growled over the sound of the needle. He normally would have refrained from sounding so gruff around a customer, but Minho was a regular and a friend.

Minho raised his head and an eyebrow. "Stop what?"

"Not you. Jisung." He spat out his name like a curse.

Across the room, Jisung laughed and replied back, "Our boy has a crush on the florist next door! She's coming in on Sunday."

"Ah, I met her during the grand opening. She's a sweetheart," Minho said. "She tried to give me a flower crown when I was in line for cookies."

"Oh, so that's why you were late?" No, he was still not over being screwed out of a flower crown.

"You would have done the same," Minho shrugged. "What's she coming in for anyway?"

Jisung, now standing next to Changbin, answered, "Hand tattoo of a flower. Right?"

Changbin nodded. Jisung was supposed to be doing some paperwork, but Changbin was too busy with the outline to say anything.

"You are so whipped. What happened to your 'no face, neck, or hands policy?'" Minho asked.

"She's got a full sleeve!" Jisung proudly revealed, as if he were the one with the beautiful artwork.

"Really? But she looks so… innocent."

Changbin wiped off the excess ink. "You should have seen her when she took off her jacket to show me." The image was still burned into his mind, and his heart raced every time he thought of it.

Jisung snickered. "You are so into her, it's kind of funny. You've only talked to her once."

"Twice actually. Once when she first opened, and a few days ago."

"Oh, so you're keeping score now?" Minho teased. He chuckled at Changbin's glare. "I understand. She's a cute girl with a tattoo who also has her own business. What's not to like?"

"Exactly," Changbin mumbled under his breath. Louder, he said to Jisung, "Go finish the paperwork."

Jisung grumbled, but he made his way back to the front desk.

With Jisung gone and doing his job, it was quiet again between Minho and Changbin. Minho returned to his phone, and Changbin continued to ink. They could hear Jisung softly cursing across the room. An hour later Changbin ran the needle across Minho's ribcage one last time before wiping the skin clean.

"See you in a couple weeks," Changbin said as Minho stood in front of the mirror and admired his newest ink.

"Yeah. It looks good." He slipped his shirt back on. "Have fun on Sunday. Try not to drool too much."

Changbin only nodded in return. What was he supposed to reply to that?

"And try not to screw up on her tattoo."

The audacity of him. Changbin sharply gestured to the door. "Bye, Minho."

--

Sunday arrived, and so did you. The last client left two hours ago, and Changbin had spent the remaining time sweeping the floor and  pacing. You came right on time with a small floral arrangement in your hands. He looked at questioningly.

You smiled and said, “It’s a thank you gift. I thought it would only be fitting as I own a flower shop, have flower tattoos, and will be getting a new one.”

“It’s… pretty,” was his lame reply. It was the truth, but he couldn’t help feeling like he should have said more. He cleared his throat awkwardly before suggesting you sit down at one of the stations.

You sat down and tugged up your sleeve. The edges of an inked leaf peeked out from your sweatshirt, and Changbin was instantly reminded of glorious piece of artwork on your arm.

The process was painful. He felt you stiffen a few seconds into the tattooing, and he immediately felt sorry for you. The design you wanted trailed up to your index finger, so he knew you weren't even at the worst part.

"How's business going?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"Pretty well," you replied. You were now tapping your foot. "Goodness, this hurts. And don't you dare say I told you so."

"I won't," he promised.

There was some light conversation between the two of you. Changbin asked about your life to distract you-- no ulterior motives, he swore-- and you gave long, winding answers to distract yourself. That was how he found out that got your first tattoo at nineteen, recently moved to the city, got recommended District 9 by your old tattoo artist, Bang Chan at Miroh Tattoos, who said he knew the owner--

"Chan? I know him!" was probably not the smartest thing to say. He could hear Jisung laughing at him.

You dryly replied, "I would think so.” Then you sharply inhaled as Changbin started to ink your finger. “He said you were good at black and white, so I checked out your Instagram to make sure.”

“Lived up your expectations?”

“Well, I am sitting in your parlor, paying you to stab me with a needle.”

“You’re not as sweet as you look,” he mumbled. Once he realized the implication of his words, he hoped you hadn’t heard them.

You let out a short laugh. “Everyone thinks the flower girl is nice and innocent until they hear her speak. You’re not the first one,” you assured.

He felt his ears burn and pretended to be intensely focused wiping off excess ink from your hand. “What’s the reason for getting a hand tattoo?” he asked to change the subject.

It was a very obvious attempt, but you didn’t say anything about it. “I’ve always wanted one. They look cool, but a lot of artists don’t do hand tattoos without any other tattoos to show for it.”

“So, you got a full sleeve in order to get one?”

“Well, when you say it like that…” you said. At his alarmed face, you laughed. “I’m kidding. I like my sleeve, and I wanted to get it done anyway. It turned out really good.”

“Chan’s great,” he agreed.

“So are you.”

His face heated up, and he saw you smile out of the corner of his eye.

Three hours later, the flower on your hand was complete. You let him take a picture for District 9’s Instagram. He was ready to clean up and lock up, but he noticed you lingering around.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah!” you smiled. You then walked closer and looked straight at him. “Hey, I hope this is okay, but do you want to get lunch sometime?” you asked.

He blinked a few times and replayed the words in his head to make sure he heard them correctly. You mistook his silence as a decline.

“Sorry! I shouldn’t have asked such a question. That would be unprofessional for you to even answer! I’m sorry about that.”

You turned to leave, and he shouted with more volume than necessary, “Wait!”

You faced him, hope in your eyes. “Yes?”

“I’ll... get lunch with you.” He shyly looked away. “If you give me a flower crown.”

A wide grin spread across your face. “Will do.”

~ ad.gray

[sage-nebula]

Do you mind elaborating on the Japanese criminal justice system? Is it very different from the States?

It is indeed!

So, just as a disclaimer: All of my knowledge comes from research, which was several weeks of reading academic articles, articles and papers written by attorneys who had studied Japanese criminal law, and first-hand accounts of people who had been arrested in Japan. I specifically wanted to portray the initial interrogation process and I wanted to make it as accurate a portrayal as possible, so I did as much research as I could over the process of several weeks. This doesn’t mean that I’m 100% an expert, but it does mean that I did due diligence and I feel like I have at least a grasp on how the initial legs of the process go. So, again, just to be clear: I’m not an expert, but I’ve done my best, and if I say anything that isn’t correct, I’m always happy to have input letting me know.

With that said!

Japan has a 99% criminal conviction rate, because in the eyes of the Japanese criminal justice system (and, from what I read, the general view of the populace) you are guilty until proven innocent. The general idea is, if someone hasn’t committed a crime, then why would they be arrested? For this reason, it is extremely difficult to get acquitted in Japan, to the point where … where, you see the conviction rate. Virtually no one is, because the law is on the side of the prosecution. As a side bar, this is actually why the Ace Attorney series was created: it’s a critical satire of the Japanese criminal justice system, and the way we see the games slanted in favor of the prosecution (and the way the defense always has to find out the true culprit before the defendant is acquitted) is a direct result of the way criminal law is handled in Japan. American fans have criticized how ridiculous it is to get the defendant a Not Guilty in those games, but that is not without reason.

So, in Japan, you are guilty until proven innocent. When arrested, you are taken into custody for a series of interrogations. The first round of interrogations, which takes place over 48 hours (and they can, during this time, hold you even without formally charging you with a crime) is done by a group of police officers. From what I read (both by lawyers and by people who went through this process), this questioning process involves actual questions about the incident you’ve been arrested for, as well as random, off-the-wall questions designed to both build trust between you and the police (in order to get you to spill more easily), as well as to disorient you and catch you lying. So you could be asked, “Where were you on the afternoon of the 18th?” but also “what type of person do you find attractive?” and “what kind of music do you like?” Again, this is by a group of police officers, which can range anywhere from, say, five to eight officers questioning you at the time. (And if you don’t speak Japanese you can have an interpreter there, but according to one first-hand account I read of someone who went through that part of the process, she said that it felt like the interpreter was intentionally leaving out things the police officers were saying, or else he would speak for a very short time to the police officers when her answer had been longer, et cetera.) 

During this time, the police officers will want you to sign a document which is, for all intents and purposes, a confession (not that they’ll call it that—they’ll say it’s just a statement, but it’s still as close to a confession as they can possibly make it). By signing it, you’re admitting that you had a part in whatever crime you’ve been arrested for. Once you sign it, the police take it to the prosecution in order to get the initial detention extension, which is usually ten days at the outset, but can be extended for up to twenty-one. And you would think, “Oh, I’ll just not sign it, then!” which is good … but know that if you refuse to sign it, then they can see that as a sign of suspicion and use that as an excuse to hold you for even longer. So basically, damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (And know, too, that the interrogation sessions are long. The sessions can go for over twelve hours at at a time. If you’ve ever played Ace Attorney, you know how it often feels like your client is always in questioning? Yeah. Truth in video games once again.)

So they have you for 48 hours initially, then get granted extensions by the prosecution in order to hold you for longer. Even if you don’t sign the forced confession, these detention extensions are pretty much always granted to my understanding, so if you’re arrested you can expect to be detained for at least twenty-three days, and possibly/probably even longer. From what I read, the group interrogation usually lasts for a day or two (sometimes the full 48 hours, sometimes not), and then you’re interrogated by a pair of officers/prosecutor assigned to your case. This is because the police force works very closely with the prosecutors in Japan. Once again referencing Ace Attorney if you’ve played it, you know how the prosecutors are basically the bosses of the detectives in those games? Yeah, again, truth in video games. In Japan, the police work that closely with the prosecution. 

According to multiple sources I read (including some of the first-hand accounts), the questioning/interrogations take place in a small, windowless room, and can be pretty brutal. There are no cameras, so in some cases the police can get physically violent with the defendant, so long as it doesn’t leave marks. (One woman’s account I read said they got very close in her face and screamed at her, another account said that they grabbed him by his shirt and shook/shoved him, et cetera.) The intention here is to make the defendant uncomfortable and intimidated and therefore more likely to confess to the crime. So that, along with the grueling hours of questioning, the mind games played by switching the questions to completely random things to catch you off-guard, et cetera make the entire process very difficult to deal with. (Oh, and they can and often do question the defendants without a lawyer present, because Japanese law allows them to do so. So if you think, “Well, at least I’ll have my lawyer!” not necessarily. They’re not required by law to have a defense attorney present, and can do whatever they want, interrogation-wise, without one there.)

Speaking of which, defense is also not free in Japan. From what I read, the initial consultation can be free, but after that there’s usually a flat fee rate that the defense attorney expects the client to pay, and then additional fees after that for additional services. So if you want a pro bono attorney, or a court-appointed attorney, you’re just … not getting one. You have to be able to pay up. 

In addition to all of this, because Japan’s criminal justice system works on a “guilty until proven innocent” style of criminal justice, not only are the courts going to be stacked against your attorney, but your attorney may encourage you to confess to the crime anyway. This was the case of one account I read, wherein a woman who was in Japan to teach English was accused and arrested for shoplifting when she hadn’t, and her defense attorney insisted to her that she should confess to the crime anyway. The general idea here is, confessing to a crime shows remorse, which makes the judge believe that you are more likely to be rehabilitated, thus your sentence will be lighter. Conversely, refusing to confess to the crime makes it seem like you have no remorse for what you did (and are willing to lie about it), thus your sentence will be harsher. And it goes even deeper; even if you’re acquitted, the mindset of “if you didn’t do anything wrong why were you arrested” holds so true that, in the case of the woman I mentioned before (who was let off with no charges even though she did confess and said it was an accident and she was sorry), the school district she was working for forced her to resign because they didn’t want someone who had been arrested teaching the children. So again: Because she confessed to a crime she didn’t commit, but was let go without any jail time or anything because she said she was very sorry and the judge believed in her remorse, the school district in effect fired her because, well, she must be a criminal, obviously, because she was arrested, and we can’t have that in our school district.

Oh, and don’t even think about getting out on bail, either. Requests for bail are pretty much never granted, from what I read. Like, bail essentially doesn’t even exist in the Japanese criminal justice system prior to indictment, and is basically never granted after. So if you are hoping to at least get away from all of this by getting out on bail, dash that hope now. You’re not getting it. No one gets it. It’s not really a “thing” in Japan, from what I read.

All in all, the U.S. criminal justice system is definitely twisted and awful as well, but from everything I read you have pretty much zero hope of acquittal or fairness in Japan. The odds are so heavily stacked against the defendant they feel insurmountable (even in the eyes of civilians, e.g. that school board!), and your best hope is to just confess and apologize a lot and hope your sentence is lighter, even if you didn’t do anything wrong. Because I mean, from what I read, it’s not like maintaining your innocence does you a lot of good.

So yeah, I do not ever want to be arrested in Japan. I will be on my absolute best behavior the entire time I’m there, promise.